Estonia boosts border security with new reserve unit initiative
Estonia plans to establish a large reserve unit to patrol the border and counter hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus. Approximately one thousand reservists are to be incorporated into it.
According to the Estonian Ministry of Defence, Russia and Belarus may intensify hybrid attacks on the eastern borders of Europe within the next ten years. To counteract these, Estonia plans to establish a new military formation.
"This year, together with the volunteer paramilitary units and the Defense Forces, we conducted the first test for a small unit. And over the next three years, we plan to recruit this thousand people," said Lauri Läänemets, Estonia's Minister of the Interior.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia began actively strengthening its border with Russia and purchasing modern weaponry to counter the threat from Russia. The Estonian army also participates actively in exercises with other NATO countries to enhance its combat capabilities.
Estonia's Ministry of Defence will invest 500 million euros over the next four years in the development of military infrastructure, including the creation of new garrisons.
"Influx of migrants is a specific tool"
According to analysts, Russia's aggressive actions on the eastern edges of the European Union are related to the war in Ukraine and are an attempt to intimidate the European community.
"Russia aims to put pressure on the West in every possible way to reduce Western support for Ukraine. At the same time, it wants to create problems in our society, to raise the question of whether the West should support Ukraine if it poses various internal threats to us," said Marek Kohv, head of the security and resilience research program at the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn.
Kohv said the influx of migrants is a very specific tool that can be used. However, he argued, Estonia is not currently a target country, which are most likely, these are Germany, France, and Spain. Nevertheless, Estonia should also be prepared for migration pressure, he added.
According to him, uncontrolled migration in Europe can negatively impact political decisions and public opinion, as is the case, for example, in Germany, France, and Spain.
